Friday, August 24, 2012

When:
September 27 from 8:00am - 3:30pm Transportation: Meet at the
Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center at 8:00am (252 Poplar Grove Rd.)
to load the 12 passenger van. Where: WalnutCove is about 2 hours from Boone, located just northeast
of Winston Salem. Cost: $25 and includes
transportation, lunch, and tour. To register: please contact Wendy
Patoprsty at (828)264-3061
or email Wendy_Patoprsty@ncsu.edu
Space is limited so reserve your spot as soon as possible. In 1994, officials in the small North Carolina town of WalnutCove were considering building a conventional wastewater
treatment plant that would use both mechanical and biological processes to
clean wastewater. As the original cost estimate of $2 million kept rising,
Wayne Smart-- then a member of the WalnutCove
Board of Commissioners-- proposed a wastewater wetlands as an inexpensive
alternative to a conventional sewage plant. Although many town officials, consulting
engineers, and residents were skeptical, the wastewater wetlands system was
eventually built, and began operating in 1996.

The system, which cost less than
$1 million to build, is less expensive to run than a conventional wastewater
treatment plant because it does not have to be overseen 24 hours a day, since
nature and gravity do most of the work, said plant operator Mark Bowman. The
process of treating the wastewater is started with the water being sprayed into
the air to add oxygen and promote microbial activity. The water works its way
through a series of ponds, passing through thick groves of cattails that help
to filter out nitrogen phosphorous ammonia and other naturally occurring
chemicals. The water is then chemically treated to remove any remaining germs,
which leaves the plant cleaner than the creek water it flows into, operators
say. Smart says that the system has already exceeded most people's
expectations, as it has proven itself to be an economically and environmentally
responsible way of dealing with waste. Here is a link to their website for even more information..... http://www.townofwalnutcove.org/water-sewer.html

Date: Tuesday, August 28Time: 6:00pmLocation: Clawson-Burnley Park, Hunting Hills Lane, BooneCost: FreeIt’s
been 4 years since the 1.4-acre stormwater wetland was constructed along
the greenway trail in Boone. Within these 4 years volunteers and town
employees have planted hundreds of native plants that are now thriving
and providing water treatment and habitat for wildlife. The wetland
tour will be led by Wendy Patoprsty of the Watauga County Cooperative
Extension and will last one to two hours. All ages are welcome to join
us, as Wendy will provide some hands-on activities to view the flora and
fauna of the wetland. “A
wide variety of wetland, floodplain and upland plants are blooming,”
Patoprsty said, “and all those plants play a specific role in the
wetlands and for the wildlife in the wetland.” A constructed stormwater
wetland is different from a natural wetland in that it captures runoff
from the streets, parking lots and rooftops and cleans it before
entering the river.This
“ecosystem service” to clean the water is the first of three primary
goals of a constructed stormwater wetland. “Not only does it help
filter the water, it also provides a unique ecosystem for lots of
different species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and
mammals” Patoprsty said. Water-fowl
and migratory songbirds find a resting place here in Boone in the
constructed stormwater wetland on the Greenway Trail. The Greenway is
part of the North Carolina Birding Trail and one can find diverse
species along the river, fields and woods that make up the path.
Wetlands are important bird habitats because birds use them for
breeding, nesting, rearing young, a source of drinking water, resting,
and social interactions. Wetland vegetation also provides shelter from
predators and from the weather.Lastly,
this wetland park within the town is an area for the community to
enjoy. The trail around the wetland provides a great view to observe
what’s going on in the wetland. During the tour, participants will walk
around the wetland, identify plants and birds and learn about how the
wetland contributes to the health of the New River. The trail is ADA
accessible so that all may enjoy the sounds and surroundings of nature.What
to bring: this is a rain or shine event, either an umbrella or rain
gear if the weather looks wet, binoculars if you have them, something to
drink, any nature guides that you think would be appropriate.For more information contact Wendy Patoprsty at (828)264-3061 or email at Wendy_Patoprsty@ncsu.edu

Some consider tomatoes a fruit, while others insist it is a vegetable.

Since there is more than one way to classify tomatoes, both perspectives are correct.

Botanically,
tomatoes are in the same category as avocadoes, eggplant, cucumbers and
squash of all kinds. They are the fruit of a flowering plant that
consists of the ovary and seeds. Yet, they are all treated as vegetables
in the kitchen.

For culinary use, the tomato is
considered a vegetable. It is typically used as an ingredient in main
courses and in side-dishes for a meal.

An apple pie
sounds more appealing than a tomato pie for dessert, since tomatoes have
less natural sugar content than sweet fruit.

This
naming debate dates way back in history. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws that
imposed a duty on vegetables, but not on fruits, caused the tomato’s
status to become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court
settled this controversy on May 10, 1893, by declaring that the tomato
is a vegetable. This was based on the popular definition that classifies
vegetables by use, as they are generally served with dinner and not a
dessert.

Whatever you want to call them, tomatoes
taste great and are extremely nutritious. They are rich in lycopene,
which provides the red color and may help prevent heart disease and
cancer, especially prostate cancer. One large tomato provides more than
30 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C and A, with only
33 calories.

This health promoting, tasty recipe is a
great way to add fresh tomatoes to your diet. It’s taken from “Simply
in Season” by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, which is a great
resource for cooks who want to use seasonal ingredients.

Spicy Tomato Tempeh or Chicken

Brown rice (enough to serve four)2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon paprika

Combine in medium bowl.

Turn oven onto 375 degrees F.

8 ounces tempeh or chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes

Add to bowl and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in oven until tempeh or chicken is browned.

Chicken should take 20 minutes, tempeh 30 minutes.

Check after 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1 green pepper, coarsely chopped1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

In a deep skillet, sauté in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft, around 10 minutes.

1 1/2 pound tomatoes1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon crushed hot chilies, or as desired

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Add and cook over medium heat until mixture is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon sugar

Dash balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add to mixture and stir until thickened. Add tempeh or chicken and serve over brown rice.

The Watauga Cooperative Extension Service is hosting a workshop for area farmers on the laws and highway regulations that apply to farm products that are transported between farms and to markets. An officer with the NC State Highway Patrol will explain the responsibilities of farmers and answer specific questions. Many farmers are unaware of the regulations and guidelines that affect the movement of farm products between states and involving trailers.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 11 at the Watauga Agricultural Conference Center, located at 252 Poplar Grove Road in Boone. A meal sponsored by Watauga County Farm Bureau will be served at 6 p.m. with the program starting at 6:30 p.m. This is a free workshop but registration is required. Contact the Watauga Cooperative Extension office at 828-264-3061 to register by 5 p.m. on Monday, September 10.

As we know, mosquito larvae live in stagnant puddles of
water.It’s not the larvae that
bite us, but the adults that emerge from areas in our yards like water gardens,
flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters, rain barrels, old tires, tree holes, pet
dishes, decorative ponds or anything else that will hold water for a few days.

Mosquito dunks have been used for over a decade in the US to
kill mosquito larvae before they can turn into biting adults.The dunks are made with Bacillus
thuringiensis subspecies israelensis which is a naturally occurring soil
bacteria used as a microbial insecticide to control the spread of vector-borne
diseases.According to the EPA
this type of mosquito control does not harm people, pets, wildlife, or fish.

The dunks
are easy to use, and can be found on line or at local stores. They can be used in water gardens,
flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters, old tires, water troughs rain barrels, decorative
ponds, or any area that has standing water. They may be safely used in animal drinking water troughs and
bowls that don't have the water changed frequently. If the water is changed
every few days there is no need for the dunks.Caution:
Avoid contamination of feed and foodstuffs. Do not use dunks in finished, treated human drinking water
sources.

Of course the
best way to get rid of mosquitoes is to eliminate the aquatic habitats known to
produce them. Many times
even natural places like tree stumps, or holes in trees can produce
mosquitoes.The least preferred
method of control, is killing the adult mosquito as this requires the use of
broad-spectrum insecticides, which can be harmful to fish, birds and other
animals.

Mosquitoes
do have natural enemies such as bats, birds, and dragonflies, but they may not
be effective control if they don’t have a suitable habitat nearby.Gambusia, or the mosquito fish, are also known to eat mosquito
larvae and could be put in ponds.But these fish typically cannot survive in small puddles or standing water where
the larvae survive.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Close to 40 farmers, specialists, and agents participated in a workshop focusing on cucurbits at Fischel Farms in Grassy Creek. Several specialists from Raleigh and the horticultural research station at Mills River were on hand to answer questions and demonstrate scouting practices for squash, melons, and other cucurbits. The field day was organized by Ag Agent Richard Boylan and made possible through funding from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Block Grant and project partners: New River Organic Growers, Watauga and Ashe Cooperative Extension, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, and High Country CSA. Issues with downy and powdery mildew have had a big impact on cucurbits this year, and the team of specialists provided their insights and methods to mitigate these diseases. Participants came from Watauga and Ashe Counties in North Carolina and from bordering Virginia.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Two students from the Appalachian State University Honors Program dropped by the office the other day to learn a little bit about the county and about what we do at Cooperative Extension. They asked if they could record part of the visit...I was pretty impressed with what they did with it!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

It always seems that the blooming of the tall Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium sp., aka Eupatorium sp.) heralds the very peak of summer in the High Country of NC. All too soon thereafter, the darker purple of Ironweed (Vernonia sp.) flowers unfurling proclaims the beginnings of cooler nights, shorter days, and a transition toward Autumn. Whether you embrace these plants as medicinal allies, admire them as bee forage and stately late-season color, or cuss them as pasture weeds; there is no denying that we are on the downhill slope of the 2012 growing season. As you pack the kids off to school, or plant the high tunnels to extend the productive season further, sow cover crops or source your seed garlic, consider the following opportunities for learning more about agriculture and gathering with people who share this passion.

More information about any of the following is available by calling the Watauga Cooperative Extension Center at 828-264-3061 or e-mailing richard_boylan@ncsu.edu

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Last
week, organic gardening enthusiasts enjoyed tranquil mornings in Valle
Crucis, learning from a variety of experts how to successfully grow
food.

Class participants picked up helpful tips from
incubating farmers, gardening experts from N.C. Cooperative Extension
and the community, and from visiting four home gardens in the area.

Organic
Gardening 101 was held at the new FIG farm, which is located on the
previous site of the ASU sustainable development research and teaching
farm, on land owned by the Valle Crucis conference center. FIG is the
acronym for Farm Incubator and Grower Project.

Jasmine
ShoShanna of Jamine’s Gardens led an inspiring tour of gardens that she
and her crew built or assisted middle-class homeowners in developing.

One
of the gardens is located in a small Boone backyard and produces an
amazing amount of food, including blueberries, leeks, grapes, asparagus
and greens. Participants noted creative ways to protect blueberries and
extend the growing season.

Other gardens demonstrated
how to build arbors for hardy kiwi, inexpensive ideas on how to keep
deer and other creatures out without fencing the entire yard and ways to
incorporate food into a beautiful existing landscape.

One
commonality of gardens visited was the presence of green beans. Many
gardeners produce more than they are able to eat fresh and preserve a
good part of the harvest. Pressure canning is a common way to preserve,
but I prefer to freeze them. It is much simpler, and the texture is
crisper.

Freezing green beans

Wash and remove stem end of beans.

May leave whole, or snap into desired length.

Boil a large pot of water and submerge.

When water begins to boil again, time for three minutes.

Take beans out of boiling water and submerge into an ice water bath for three minutes.

Drain, then pack into a rigid container or a freezer bag and place into freezer.

Label and date. May keep in freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for eight months.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Here at the Extension Office, we get lots of calls from homeowners, gardeners, and farmers about issues, problems, pests, and diseases that are plaguing their crops and garden. Earlier this week, it was refreshing to hear Mayor Loretta Clawson bragging about her beautiful backyard garden. She emailed this picture as proof! Despite a crazy season of erratic weather, Mayor Clawson (who gives much credit to her husband) has had a wonderful summer of production. Cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and pumpkins are the highlights in their home garden. As a proponent of the local food movement in the region, it's nice to see our government officials doing their part to participate in our growing local food economy. Thanks, Mayor!!

About Us

Watauga County Cooperative Extension provides residents easy access to resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University on a wide array of topics. Please browse our site or contact us by phone: 828.264.3061.

We are located at 971 West King Street, Boone, NC 28607.

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